Friday, April 30, 2010

(Weekend Edition)Terrestrial radio doesn't have to be good to survive. It doesn't have to play all of your favorite music, present talk personalities that you like, offer enough news, traffic, weather or sports coverage to your liking - it just has to be free. There is a large percentage of people that wouldn't pay a dime for their entertainment. How else can you explain the latest Bridge Ratings Average Quarter Hour Pyramid "Device Usage Study" that shows percentages from top to bottom as Mobile (0%), Internet (6%) and Terrestrial (94%). What? The synopsis offered by Bridge is that "It is clear that traditional radio has begun the process of building a new paradigm of time-spent-listening conceived of more than just its broadcasting towers." A well-educated synopsis from a highly-regarded ratings company but I have a different take, as already noted...Of the 19 hours of total listening to terrestrial radio programming in the Bridge study, 18 hours comes from AM/FM listening and 6% or about one hour comes from simulcast listening via the Internet. There is insufficient data, according to the study, to indicate how much, if any, listening is derived from mobile devices at this time. Projected Bridge Average Quarter Hour Pyramid figures for 2012 are: Mobile (2%), Internet (8%) and Terrestrial (90%). It's interesting to note that for some reason satellite radio is not included in the Bridge study...Here's my uneducated projection for terrestrial radio usage - add the word local to free and they'll never leave...10 Timeline Memories:1.1901] Start to finish: Pitching for the Boston Americans, Cy Youngbeats the A’s 8-6 in Philadelphia. Since the Americans will become the the Red Sox, this is the first Sox game in history (4/30)…2.1931] Happy 79th Birthday Empire: It was May 1, 1931 when President Herbert Hoover pressed a button in Washington officially opening the tallest building in New York City and the U.S., The Empire State Building (5/1)...3.1952] Debuting on this date: Mama Potato Head gives birth to the son who will become Mr. Potato Head (5/1)…1957] Larry King broadcasts his first radio show (5/1)…4.1961] Foursome: Using utility player Joey Amalfitano’s bat, Willie Maysof the San Francisco Giants becomes the 9th player in history to hit 4 home runs in a game as the Giants pound Milwaukee 14-4 at Milwaukee County Stadium (4/30)…5.1967] Wedding Bells: Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieurock down the aisle (5/1). They will divorce in 1973…6.1991] Seven zeros: 44-year old Texas pitcher Nolan Ryanpitches his 7th no-hitter vs. Toronto (5/1). No other pitcher in baseball history is even close to reaching that mark. No one ever will be either…7.1993] Stabbed in the back: Top-ranked women’s tennis player Monica Seles is stabbed in the back during a match in Hamburg, Germany by a 38-year old Steffi Graf fan. Seles will never be the same player after the stabbing (4/30)...8.1997] I’m coming out: ABC-TV airs the “coming out” episode of “Ellen” in which the title character played byEllen DeGeneresadmits to being a lesbian. Five days earlier she comes out herself (4/30)...9.2001] Washington mystery: Washington intern Chandra Levy is seen for the last time at a health club near her apartment. Her remains are found more than a year later in a D.C. park. California Congressman Gary Condit was questioned in the case due to his relationship with Levy. He is not charged in her murder (4/30)…10.2009] And down the stretch they come: Mine That Bird wins the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby (5/2)...

1966] Number One on this date: "Ba-da, Ba-da, Da-da" The Mamas and Papas with "Monday, Monday" (5/2)...1976] "Welcome Back" - John Sebastian (5/2) (take a look at the opening of "Welcome Back Kotter". The school shown is New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, my alma mater)...

Thursday, April 29, 2010

National Association of Broadcasters CEO Gordon Smith never met an interview he didn't do. When he tried to explain his views on various broadcasting issues, he was asked by USA Today why he wants cable operators to pay TV stations for their content yet opposes the Performance Rights Act which would require radio stations that play music to pay musicians and record companies, he answered with this: "The difference is that the performance rights people don't want to pay us for the promotional value we give them. For 80 years, radios received (music) play and performers received promotion. Those have been offsetting economic values. Radio continues to be the very best advertising music performers have. No one who ever grabbed a Grammy got there without radio." ...Having just started his job in September, the jury is still out on whether or not Gordon Smith will be successful as radio's biggest lobbyist in Washington. Don't look for Smith to be a fixture as NAB CEO. Remember where he came from. The Oregon Republican lost his bid for a third term in the U.S. Senate in 2008 before being named to head the NAB. Don't be too surprised if he runs for office again...Whatever the length of his term at the NAB, Smith should be the right person for the job. With what seems like an endless amount of issues facing broadcasters, someone who can work the room is desperately needed. Thousands of radio and television broadcasters are counting on his success...10 Timeline Memories:

1.1852] Thesoaring: The first edition of Peter Roget's “Thesaurus” is published…2.1941] The Name Game: The Boston Bees agree to change their name to the Braves...3.1945] Liberation Day: American troops liberate Dachau concentration camp in Germany…4.1961] Spanning the globe: ABCs "Wide World Of Sports" debuts with “The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat“…5.1986] The Rocket soars: Red Sox aceRoger Clemensstrikes out 20 Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park setting a new major league mark previously shared by Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton and Tom Seaver, all tied with 19...6.1990] Tear down this wall: Ronald Reagan gets his demand answered when the Berlin Wall begins to come down…7.1992] A bad day in L.A.: Deadly rioting erupts in Los Angeles after a jury in Simi Valley acquits 4 LAPD officers of almost all charges in the beating of Rodney King, captured on video tape. 54 die and $1 billion in damage are the results of the rioting…8.1993] White out: It’s “Barry White Day” on "The Simpsons"...9.1996] CIA MIA: Former CIA Director William Colby is missing and presumed drowned after an apparent boating accident in Maryland. Colby’s body is later discovered…10.2004] Monumental: A national WWII monument saluting men and women who served during that war, opens to the public in Washington, D.C…Commentary:The email gods have been haunting my emailblasts preventing some of you from receiving my daily posts while other deliveries have been sporadic. Since we can't always count on email deliveries, there's only one failproof system. Either book mark or make my website, a favorite. Please note my new website URL: http://melphillips.blogspot.com/ . You'll find a new post every morning between 8am and 9am (EDT) at the latest...Music Memories:

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

When asked for their top two picks for growth potential, 67% of the respondents chose mobile phone apps while 46% opted for social networking in a recent Inside Radio Survey. The rest of the survey showed audio streaming (29%), station websites (23%), online video streams (21%) and trailing the field and dead last - HD Radio at 8%. What's interesting to note is how far down station websites and audio streaming potential have dropped. If you're a radio station without either, you're out of business or soon will be. In this survey, online video streaming is just 2 points behind station websites and 8 percent behind audio streaming. And how about the bold respondents (8%) who actually chose HD Radio as one of their two choices for potential???

Some respondent comments speak volumes: "Station websites are great, but stations on iPhones are easier", "We believe station websites have the most growth potential but must be promoted much, much more." Then there's this comment on social networks, "Facebook is already a favorite of most adults so if they are already going there. Get them to friend you and poof." ...

I agree with that last comment about Facebook, Twitter and other social networks but to this day, I have only seen a select few who are wise enough to tweet about their radio station to what has become their target audience...

10 Timeline Memories: 1.1789] Mutiny on the Bounty: The crew of the British ship Bounty set Captain William Bligh and 18 sailors adrift in a launch in the South Pacific…2.1914] Cooool: Willis H. Carrierpatents the design for his air conditioner…3.1947] No termites allowed: A six-man expedition sails from Peru aboard a balsa wood raft named Kon-Tiki on a 101-day journey across the Pacific to Polynesia…

5.1965] Dropping the second “A": The "My Name Is Barbra" special scores huge numbers for CBS-TV…6.1965] Higher and higher: Lindsey Nelson does the Mets game from a gondola, suspended 208 feet above the Houston Astrodome field. Lindsey called the 1969 World Series...7.1975] Two Beatles on the tube: Ringo Starr guests on “The Smothers Brothers” and John Lennon on “The Tonight Show. In these clips, Ringo pitches pizza and John & Paul guest with Joe Garagiola...8.1985] Billy’s back: Billy Martinbecomes Yankee manager for the 4th time. Do you see a pattern developing???9.1994] Guilty as charged: Former CIA operativeAldrich Ames, a double-spy for the Soviets is sentenced to life in prison without parole…10.2004] A boo-boo Ghraib: The first photos of Abu Ghraib are shown on “60 Minutes"…

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Verizon may not be ahead of the curve but they're close enough. Their decision to include YouTube and Internet Radio to their FiOS TV menu is most welcome by consumers who are ready to have all their devices on their HD-TV screens. By Christmas time one manufacturer should make that a reality, according to some tech bloggers. FiOS is making both new services available via Media Manager. For those without Media Manager, it is now available to all FiOS TV HD customers. In addition to Verizon's latest offering, they hope to bring 3D programming to FiOS TV customers by the end of the year...Like it or not, we are getting closer to never having to leave the couch for our entertainment, something fast-food restaurants that deliver will love. So will the producers of "The Biggest Loser" which could become a 24-hour channel, 7 days a week...We're also getting closer to the day that an iPad type device will be all inclusive. This is a far healthier proposition than wasting away in couchpotatoville. Put a pedometer on it and as soon as this cranky back gets better, place my order... 10 Timeline Memories:

1.1947] Farewell Babe: Over 58,000 fans jam Yankee Stadium to say goodbye to Babe Ruth. One year later he will die from cancer…2.1956] A Rocky goodbye: 31-year old, undefeated heavyweight champ, Rocky Marciano calls it quits and hangs up his boxing gloves with a perfect 49-0 record. At the age of 44 Marciano will lose his life in a small plane crash…3.1965] Good night and good luck: Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow dies at 57...4.1967] EXPOsed: Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson opens EXPO 67 in Montreal…5.1973] Opry moves to the suburbs: The Grand Ole Opry leaves the Ryman Auditorium to open up Opryland in suburban Nashville…6.1978] Free as a bird: Former Nixon aide John D. Ehrlichman is released from prison after serving 18 months for Watergate-related crimes...7.1981] Wedding Bells: After grunting their way through the movie “Caveman“, Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach, dressed like Fred & Wilma Flintstone, get married in Durango, Mexico…8.1982] Guilty as charged: John W. Hinckley Jr. goes on trial in Washington, D.C. for shooting President Ronald Reagan. Hinckley will be acquitted by reason of insanity…9.1987] Banned from the USA: The Justice Department bars Austrian President Kurt Waldheimfrom entering the U.S., saying he aided in the deportation and execution of thousands of Jews and others as a German Army officer during WWII...10.2002] No-no: Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowethe first pitcher to throw a no-hitter at Fenway Park since Dave Morehead in 1965. Facing 28 batters, Lowe totals only 97 pitches in the 10-0 whitewashing of Tampa Bay…

Monday, April 26, 2010

The new RTDNA/Hofstra study shows radio lagging behind TV in Web success. While the study shows that web sites with bigger staffs are more likely to make a profit, it's TV stations that are up 4.3% in the last year with radio either flat or falling in profitability. Radio was down despite an increase in audio streaming and blogs. You better be doing more than that to increase Internet profits. In addition to making your website more interesting to view how about stressing the importance of web business to your sales staff. Both are vitally important...The inclusion of links to facebook and twitter on your web site is a necessity and how about putting a camera in your control room? If you're not using local show information, you should be. If you're not using artist and celebrity video, do it. And I would also use a news crawl with video links to news stories. When listeners mention an interesting web site, check it out. Find out what they're doing to get some ideas that you can use...Whatever you do with your web site should reflect the personality of your radio station. It's an extension of your station. It should visually provide what you can't offer on radio. But make it creative, streaming and blogging have already become so then... 10 Timeline Memories:

1.1607] British invasion: English colonists go ashore at Cape Henry (VA) to establish the first permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere...2.1819] How odd?: The 1st Odd Fellows lodge in America is established in Baltimore which leads to this question: How odd a fellow do you have to be to join???3.1865] Gotcha: John Wilkes Booth, 26, assassin of President Abraham Lincoln is surrounded by federal troops and killed near Bowling Green (VA)...4.1941] Organic music: A tradition is born at Wrigley Field in Chicago as Roy Nelson serenades the crowd by playing organ music. The Cubs still lose, organ music or not, 4-2 to the Cardinals...5.1961] Going, going, gone: Roger Maris hits the 1st of his record breaking 61 home runs against Paul Foytack of the Detroit Tigers. Here's #61...6.1964] Make it 6 in a row: The Celtics will extend their championship streak to 8. It will go down as the greatest consecutive winning streak in professional sports history...7.1975] Comeback kids: The Islanders become only the second team in sports history to rebound from an 0-3 deficit in games to win a playoff series when they win the Stanley Cup quarterfinals over Pittsburgh. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs did it previously in 1942 and of course the Red Sox did it by winning 4 straight games against the Yankees in their World Series winning year of 2004...8.1977] Debuted on this date: Studio 54 opens on West 54th Street in Manhattan. Studio 54 was an experience to witness...9.1986] Wedding Bells: Arnold Schwarzenegger and newscaster/Kennedy, Maria Shriverflex their marriage muscles. Ahnold will become the Governator and Maria, first lady of Cah-lee-forn-iuh...10.1989] "Happy Trails": Legendary actress-comedian Lucille Balldies at 77 from a ruptured aorta...

Friday, April 23, 2010

(Weekend Edition)Give Arbitron credit. If they operated a radio group instead of a measurement company, they would be one of the best. Despite all the obstacles they faced in 2009, they only lost 2.6% of their revenue in Q1 year-over-year. Arbitron went through more tsuris than many broadcast groups suffer in a lifetime. Their most serious threat came from the PPM Coaltion, led by Edolphus Towns, a member of the House who led the charge to change Arbitron's Portable People Meter methodology. Can you imagine how hard it was for Arbitron President/CEO Bill Kerr to thank Towns and his team for "helping move this dialogue forward" in announcing the settlement between Arbitron and the coalition. Arbitron now "plans to move forward collaboratively" with the PPM Coalition and a little help from the Media Rating Council, the folks that handle accreditation, something Arbitron has had a difficult time in receiving...Not only did Arbitron survive the PPM Coalition, they also survived the loss of Cumulus and Clear Channel small market stations that opted for Nielsen's diary service, a rotten economy that affected new business and renewals and Univision pulling the PPM plug in several markets. Those obstacles were offset by higher PPM pricing in 33 markets where the service is commercialized...The rest of 2010 should be much better than the nightmare Arbitron faced in 2009. Radio groups that break down court room doors to file for chapter 11, would do well to learn how a good organization survives... 10 Timeline Memories:

1.1901] You're so vain: New York becomes the first state to require automobile license plates and they're all vanity plates containing initials (4/25). This collector has a vanity plate for each of the 50 states...2.1963] One for the thumb and then some: Led by Bob Cousy & Bill Russell, the Celtics win their fifth consecutive NBA title (4/24)...3.1969] Guilty as charged: Sirhan B. Sirhan is sentenced to death for the assassination of New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy. The sentence is later reduced to life in prison which Sirhan is now serving in California (4/23)...4.1974] The NFL rules: The NFL adopts 2 new rules: 1) Allowing for a 15-minute sudden-death overtime period during regular season games and 2) They move the goal posts to the back of the end zone (4/25)...5.1976] American hero: Cubs outfielder Rick Monday rescues the American flag from two unruly fans at Dodgers Stadium that were about to burn it in centerfield. Monday snatches it away and becomes America's newest hero (4/25)...6.1985] Ain't nothing like the real thing baby: Coca Cola changes its 99-year old secret formula but "New Coke" fizzes out and they go back to the original formula (4/23)...7.1988] Smoking permitted outside planes only: A U.S. federal law takes effect banning smoking on flights under 2 hours (4/23)...8.1990] Eye in the sky: Space shuttle Discovery blasts off from Cape Canaveral carrying the $1.5 billion Hubble Space Telescope and a lifetime supply of Windex (4/24)...The Hubble is deployed on 4/25...9.1994] How sweep it is: The New York Rangers sweep the Islanders in the opening round of the NHL playoffs. The Broadway Blues were on their way to their 1st Stanley Cup championship since 1940 (4/24)...10.2005] Runaway bride: Missing Georgia woman Jennifer Wilbanks turns up in New Mexico, originally claiming to have been abducted but later admits she was a runaway bride (4/25)...

1963] Recorded on this date: "Surf City" - Jan & Dean (4/23) (here's a classic clip of Jan & Dean on Steve Allen's show)...1967] "All You Need Is Love" - Beatles 4/25) (Marianne Faithfull is one of the voices in the chorus)...

2000] Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck: ABC-TV does the 'Curly Shuffle' when they air the TV movie "The Three Stooges" (4/24)...

Thursday, April 22, 2010

I'm not sure what Emmis is getting out of this besides good will but you have to applaud them for agreeing to school sales people at more than 300 New York State Broadcasters Association stations. The NYSBA stations will receive Emmis Interactive sales training. NYSBA SVP Richard Novikis happy about the deal: "The training, entitled 'The Path to Building a Successful Local Interactive Business' is a practical approach that will ensure attendees return to their stations with tangible ways to build their business." Since most radio sales people are hired for their aggressiveness rather than any previous radio experience, this is an agreement that needs to catch on...Emmis Interactive will offer a series of training sessions for NYSBA members, and EI staffers will also speak at the NYSBA Executive Conference in June, and at its Digital Leadership Conference in September. Emmis Interactive co-President Deborah Esayian is inspired by NYSBA leadership and considers it a privilege to partner with them and educate their stations all across New York State. She also said that Emmis is honored they suggested this approach...I didn't see the word "free" connected to the word "consulting" so I assume that Emmis will make a few bucks out of this deal. The sales training for NYSBA stations is priceless...10 Timeline Memories:

1.1864] A higher authority: Congress authorizes the use of the phrase "In God We Trust" on U.S. coins...2.1952] A Test: An atomic test conducted in Nevada becomes the first nuclear explosion shown on live network TV...3.1954] On the tube: The U.S. Senate, Army-McCarthy televised hearings begin...4.1970] The Franchise: Tom Seaver of the Mets ties the single-game strike-out record with 19 against San Diego at Shea Stadium...5.1970] Green is clean: The first Earth Day is observed. Twenty years later to the day (1990) over 750,000 are treated to an Earth Day Concert in Central Park starring Hall & Oates, Ben E. King and the B-52s...6.1976] Celebrating a first: Barbara Waltersbecomes the first female nightly news anchor...7.1978] Blues Brothers debut: John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd make their first appearance as The Blues Brothers on "Saturday Night Live". They also rocked live the same year...8.1994] 'Happy Trails': Former President Richard M. Nixon, dies at 81 after suffering a stroke four days earlier...9.2001] Elian snatching: In a pre-dawn raid, armed immigration agents seize Elian Gonzalez from his relatives home in Miami. The 6-year old is reunited with his father at Andrews Air Force Base and flown back to Cuba where he now resides as Castro's prize trophy...10.2004] A victim of friendly fire: Ex-NFL player Pat Tillman who traded a successful career for life as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan, is killed by friendly fire at the age of 27...Music Memories:

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Although the NFL season doesn't kick off for 5 months, radio is already preparing for our national past time, starting with coverage of the all-important NFL draft which starts on Thursday night. In addition to the round-by-round ESPN blanket coverage on television, radio will be there too. Full draft coverage will be carried on XM and Sirius, Channel 124 on both services. If you're stuck in your car or would prefer not to be overwhelmed by Boomer and company on ESPN, you now have an alternative...In addition to game coverage on satellite radio once the season begins, Compass Media Networks which began carrying NFL games in 2009 has expanded. In addition to renewing their contracts with Atlanta, Buffalo, Detroit, Dallas, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Washington, they also signed an agreement with Oakland. Compass will carry the games of all of these NFL franchises... In addition to Compass, Sirius XM and local team stations, radio coverage of NFL games is available on Westwood One and the Sports USA Radio Network. It's a crowded field but it guarantees radio coverage wherever you live. Now that Arbitron has rolled out its PPM Radio Listening for Pro Baseball report in 26 markets, a similar report for the NFL is sure to follow... 10 Timeline Memories:

1.1910] Never the Twain: Author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain dies...2.1918] The Baron buys it: German ace fighter Baron von Richthofen ("The Red Baron") is shot down (by Snoopy?) and killed during WWI. He was just 26...3.1956] A big surprise:Leonard Ross, age 10, becomes the youngest prize winner on the "Big Surprise", winning $100,000. A bigger surprise would be if this was on the level...4.1960] I just want to testify: Dick Clark testifies before a congressional committee investigating payola. He will be forced to divest himself of record properties he has a financial interest in. Dick Clark, this is your life...5.1965] That's fair: The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair opens its second and final season...6.1977] The sun will come out tonight: The musical "Annie" opens on Broadway...7.1980] Marathon scam: When Rosie Ruizcrosses the finish line first in the Boston Marathon, she didn't even break a sweat. The reason? Rosie took the "T" part of the way. Rosie is disqualified...8.1986] Blank vault: A vault in Chicago's Lexington Hotel that was linked to Al Capone is opened on live TV and except for some empty gin bottles, the vault is empty...9.1992] It's a gas: Robert Alton Harris becomes the first person executed by the state of California in twenty-five years when he's put to death in the gas chamber for the 1978 murder of 2 teenage boys...10.1995] Celtic pride: The Boston Celtics play their last game at Boston Garden, their home since 1946. The Fleet Center (now TD Banknorth) is built right next door with a piece of the parquet floor from the old Garden, used on the floor of the new arena...Music Memories:

1965] On the Tube: The Beach Boys sing "Do You Wanna Dance" on ABC-TV's "Shindig"...1977] Natalie Cole and John Denver guest on Frank Sinatra's ABC-TV special "Sinatra and Friends". These individual clips are from other specials...

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

We have a new leader in the radio apps race. When Clear Channel launched iheartradio, they provided mobile device users with all of their own stations. Fine, if your favorite station is owned by Clear Channel but what about all the thousands of other radio stations not under the CC umbrella? The question has been answered. RadioTime has just launched a radio app which provides access to over 30,000 AM/FM and Internet-only stations. The only rub is that RadioTime runs on handsets with Android 1.5 or higher, which doesn't do anything for those using other smartphones, a problem that will continue to grow until there's app compatibility. Maybe the FCC can work on that when they put their Broadband plan in place...The RadioTime menu offers presets, local radio, format, location, language and podcast choices. It will also cost $2.99 but as RadioTime explains, that cost is for their lifetime obligation and free software upgrades. RadioTime supports a Windows Media streaming format which most radio stations use. Local stations are found by using the phone's GPS capability...While providing 30,000 AM/FM and Internet-only stations is a huge advantage for Android 1.5+ users, it does bupkus for everyone else. I understand the competitive nature of the various mobile companies but the time has come for app sharing. I'm sure those supplying apps would not object to getting paid by all mobile companies as opposed to having exclusive rights with one. It would also make mobile device users a lot happier. Mobile companies could work on putting new wrinkles in other areas, like coverage, service and features... 10 Timeline Memories:

1.1902] A glowing tribute: Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie isolate the radioactive element radium...2.1912] Say hello to Fenway: Fenway Park opens with the Red Sox beating the Highlanders (who will become the Yankees) 7-6. Boston Mayor John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald throws out the first ball, something grandson Teddy Kennedy had hoped to do for the 100th anniversary of Fenway in 2012...3.1916] Say hello to the friendly confines: Wrigley Field opens in Chicago with the Cubs beating Cincinnati 7-6. Cubs win...Cubs win...Cubs win...4.1939] Say hello to Teddy Ballgame: Ted Williams debuts, playing right field and doubles for his first hit at the age of 20. In the game, the Yankees beat the Sawx 2-0 at Yankee Stadium...5.1961] In stereo: FM stereo is approved by the FCC...6.1980] Boatlifts begin: The first Cubans sailing to the United States as part of the massive Mariel boatlift reaches Florida...7.1988] There it went: The stealth bomber is officially unveiled and there it went...8.1999] Columbine massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 13 people and injure 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School in Colorado...9.2004] Abu Ghraib shooting: 12 mortars are fired on Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq by insurgents. 22 detainees are killed, 92 wounded...10.2008] Indy winner: Danica Patrick wins the Indy Japan 300 becoming the first female driver in history to win an Indy car race...Music Memories:

1963] Wedding Bells: Rick Nelson strums down the aisle with Kris Harmon. The marriage lasts into the 70's before "D-I-V-O-R-C-E"...

Monday, April 19, 2010

Whatever your party affiliation, I think you'll agree that Talk Radio is fanning the flames for those that feel disenfranchised and filled with anger. The Defenders Online describes what's going on with this headline: AM Radio Declares War On The White House. Since being both critical and negative is so much easier than having faith and being positive, the majority of the successful 2,064 talk stations lean to the right. Anger and dissent sells and the most famous talk personalities are named Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Mark Savage and Laura Ingraham. To the left, there's uh. To tell you the truth I can't think of anyone except Alan Colmes. In a 2009 interview, USA Today radio host Michael Medved expressed concern that talk shows have cultivated a "niche audience rather than the Republican mainstream." Recently, Talker Magazine and News/Talk guru Michael Harrison took the same view. Niche it is and whether or not you like the mean-spirited and controversial view they both dispense and encourage, they dominate the format...As The Defenders Online reports, "the best means for talk show hosts to generate attention is to embrace controversy. Without controversy, radio cannot approach the allure that television uses to its advantage via imagery." To that, in addition to television, I'll add the endless number of electronic devices our culture has devised...On a sales level, a huge advantage conservative yakkers have over their liberal counter part is the loyalty of their audience. Loyalty sells. Media buyers know how loyal the Rush Limbaugh & company audience is. So does the Republican Party. Limbaugh has more control over his party than any other person alive...Personally, I think the country would be far better off with a stronger presence of those in opposition to the right. For all the reasons mentioned earlier, the climate is just not, how should I say it? Right??? 10 Timeline Memories:

1.1775] The battle for independence: The American Revolutionary War begins with the battles of Lexington and Concord. This day will be commemorated as "Patriot's Day"...2.1897] Patriots Day: The 1st Boston Marathon is won by John J. McDermott of New York with a winning time of 2 hours, 55 minutes and 10 seconds. The race is run from Ashland to Copley Square, same as now. There were only 15 runners in the race...3.1981] Marathon men: The longest pro baseball game ever played, between Pawtucket and Rochester is suspended after 32 innings at the 8 hour, 7-minute mark, with the score tied 2-2 at 4:07 a.m. Two months later when play resumes, Pawtucket wins in the 33rd inning. Two future Hall of Famers played in that game - Wade Boggs (Pawtucket) and Cal Ripken Jr. (Rochester)...4.1987] OT x 4: The Islanders beat the Capitals 3-2 in 4 overtimes to win their opening round playoff series in 7 games...5.1989] Central Park Jogger: A white female jogger in New York's Central Park is brutally beaten and raped. Five teenagers are convicted and sent to prison but the convictions are overturned in 2003 after a serial rapist confesses to the crime and DNA evidence ties him to it...6.1993] Siege ends in death: Branch Davidian leader David Koreshand dozens of others are killed when fire destroys their compound near Waco (TX) as the 51-day siege ends. Attorney General Janet Reno takes responsibility for the way the siege was handled by federal agents...7.1994] Entirely too much information: When asked "boxers or briefs?", Bill Clinton replies "briefs" giving us entirely too much information...8.1994] Blood money: A Los Angeles jury awards $3.8 million to beaten motorist Rodney King. Today King is almost penniless after several subsequent arrests on drug, assault and speeding charges...9.1995] Oklahoma City bombing: The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City is destroyed by a bomb. It is the worst bombing and/or act of terrorism on U.S. soil until 911. One hundred sixty eight are killed including 19 children, 500 are injured. Timothy McVeigh is found guilty of the bombing in June, 1997 and eventually executed for it...10.2005] White Smoke at the Vatican: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany is elected pope. He takes the name Benedict XVI...

Friday, April 16, 2010

(Weekend Edition)Local businesses are finally realizing how dynamic the mobile ad business has become. Borrell's 2010 U.S. Local Mobile Advertising & Promotions Forecast shows national business will more than triple this year with local mobile spending doubling in 2010. Mobile device usage is far from peaking with 80% of the population using cell phones and 31% switching to smartphones. It makes you wonder how long it will take for those percentages to reverse, killing off cell phones. Borrell believes that mobile ad share could reach dominant penetration faster than any medium before it, including broadcast TV and the Internet. National mobile marketing is projected to leap from $2.7 billion in 2009 to $9 billion this year. It could go as high as $56.6 billion by 2014. Local mobile business, which started much lower, should jump from $285 million last year to $596 million this year and then spiking to $14.7 billion by 2014. The term Mobilemania comes to mind...In addition to the mobile ad business exploding, the number of mobile devices is growing almost as fast. Gordon Borrell says "Think beyond phones, PDAs and notebook computers. Gaming devices, e-readers, cars and cameras can also be included." Is there no end to this mobile madness? The answer is no, not yet...The iPad is driving "a lot of future growth" and the Borrell projections are for all personal interactive devices but not out-of-home screens that move in elevators, taxis or buses. It won't take long before the e-geeks roll out the answer to iPad and the answer to that and on and on it goes. If you love electronic devices, there has never been a better time. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do... 10 Timeline Memories:

1.1704] Read all about it: John Campbell publishes what will eventually become the 1st successful American newspaper. He calls it the "Boston News-Letter" (4/17)...2.1775] In the midnight hour: Paul Revere and William Dawes set out on their ride from Charlestown to Lexington (MA) to warn the colonists that those nasty Redcoats were coming (4/18)...3.1906] Shake and bake: San Francisco is devastated by an earthquake that takes 3,000 lives (4/18)...4.1923] Opening day: John Philip Sousa's band plays the national anthem as Yankee Stadium opens in the Bronx. The Yankees beat the Red Sox in the opener 4-1 (4/18)...5.1940] Bagel Bob: The linescore for the Chicago White Sox was 0-0-0 as Bob Feller of Cleveland pitches the first and only opening day no-hitter (4/16)…6.1960] Rock & Roll Wreck: 21-year old rocker Eddie Cochran dies in Bath, England from injuries sustained in a car crash that seriously wounds Gene Vincent. Vincent will recover from his injuries (4/17)...7.1962] CBS cries ‘Uncle’: Uncle Walter Cronkite succeeds Douglas Edwards as anchor of the CBS Evening News. In 1963, this newscast is stretched to 30 minutes (4/16)...8.1998] 'Happy Trails': Cancer claims the life of Linda McCartney at 56 (4/17)...2007] Socialite/actress/spokeswoman for the arts, Kitty Carlisle Hart passes away from congestive heart failure resulting from a prolonged bout of pneumonia. She was 96 (4/17)...9.2002] Gotcha: Police arrest actor Robert Blake in the shooting death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley one year earlier. Blake will be acquitted but is found liable in a civil case (4/18)...2003] Scott Peterson is arrested in the death of his wife, Laci, who was 8 months pregnant when she vanished on Christmas Eve, 2002. Peterson was sentenced to death and is currently on death row at San Quentin (4/18)...10.2007] Massacre in Blacksburg: Virginia Tech senior Seung-Hui Cho goes on a shooting rampage resulting in 32 deaths and his own in a suicide on campus in Blacksburg (VA)(4/16)...

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The reward for having a radio station in a major market is paying the steepest yearly regulatory fee. On Tuesday, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, asking for public comment on its proposed Regulatory Fees for 2010. The FCC doesn't want to read my X-rated comment if I'm paying $10,000 in regulatory fees as some stations do. Whether there are complaints about those fees or not, the FCC will collect over $335 million in regulatory fees this year. Fees range from $550 for an AM Class C radio station in a market with a population up to 25,000 to $10,400 for an FM Class B, C, C0, C1 or C2 FM station with a listening population over 3 million. Noncommercial broadcasters are exempt from the annual regulatory fees. For those stations paying through the nose and every other body orifice, Broadcast Law Blog states the obvious: "These fees are paid annually by most commercial entities that are regulated by the FCC for the privilege of being regulated"...AM and FM radio construction permits are a mere pittance compared to the annual regulatory fees. $420 please, if you're putting up an AM rig - $630 for your FM CP. Then the fun begins. The regulatory fees are normally paid in September but the specific deadline for the payment of this year's fees will be set by a future Order after the FCC has received comments on, and formally adopted, this proposed fee schedule. Not being overly generous this year, the FCC has set a short time for comments with initial comments on the proposed fees due by May 4, 2010 and reply comments due on May 11...Should you not voice your complaint before the FCC's deadline, don't be upset. Simply face the closest wall in your house and voice your complaint. It's guaranteed to have the same affect as complaining to the FCC...

10 Timeline Memories:

1.1865] This I Swear: Andrew Johnson becomes the 17th President of the United States after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln who dies from his wounds...2.1947] Breaking the color barrier: Jackie Robinson becomes major league baseball's first black player, making his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie, playing first base goes hitless in 3 at-bats...3.1955] Mickey D. arrives: Ray Kroc opens the first McDonald's fast-food restaurant...4.1959] Fidelito: Cuban leader Fidel Castro begins what he calls "a good will tour" of the U.S...5.1965] Making the Most of Havlicek's steal: In a call made famous by Johnny Most ("Havlicek Stole the Ball") the Celtics win the Eastern Division championship over Philadelphia when John Havlicek steals an in-bound pass as time runs out...6.1968] And the Mets still lose: The longest 1-0 game in baseball history is a 24-inning game between the Astros and Mets with Houston winning in 6 hours and 6 minutes...7.1982] Rock and Roll Wreck: Billy Joel is seriously hurt in a motorcycle accident on the Long Island Expressway. Yussell will be hospitalized for a month...8.1985] It's Marvelous: Marvelous Marvin Hagler retains his world middleweight crown in a great battle with Thomas "Hitman" Hearns that ends in a 3rd round TKO...9.1990] 'Happy Trails': Legendary Hollywood siren Greta Garbo dies from renal disease and pneumonia at 84...2001] Punk rocker Joey Ramone aka Jeffrey Ross Hyman dies of lymphoma at 49...10.2003] Kill the ump takes on an entirely new meaning: Umpire Laz Diaz is attacked by a fan during a Kansas City-Chicago game. The fan is later sentenced to 6 months in jail and forced to watch the rest of the Royal's baseball season. In this clip, Laz is just heckled...

Music Memory:

Debuted on this date: 1966] Buffalo Springfield performs for the 1st time as the opening act for The Byrds in San Bernadino (CA). For 'what it's worth', here's a clip of Buffalo Springfield (introduced by The Monkees' Peter Tork) from the 1967 Monterey Music Festival...

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowskimust have been looking at the latest Arbitron/Edison Infinite Dial study when he acknowledged the need for radio to go "online and mobile." In his address, delivered at the NAB convention, Genachowski made sure to dot his i's, cross his t's and get a prerequisite amount of "multi-platforms", "core-goals", "multimedia journalists" and "initiatives" in. He even channeled Wayne Gretzky. "As I heard one broadcaster say: Wayne Gretzky goes where the puck is going, we need to go where the audience is going: online and mobile." A good one for Sarah Palin to use for her hockey moms. Acknowledging the necessity for being online and mobile was not an 'A-ha' moment for 99.9% of the NAB audience, but at least we know the FCC is on board...Speaking of the Arbitron/Edison Infinite Dial study, the most telling results were Broadband Internet access and Online radio usage which came in with 64% and 52% respectively. Other significant findings include one in four Internet radio listeners surveyed are "very interested" in having access to Internet radio in their cars. When asked if they would listen if an FM radio tuner was built into their cell phones, 41% of those surveyed between 12 and 24 would listen to FM radio more often. While 70 million Americans listened to online radio in the past month, four out of five surveyed would be disappointed if their favorite radio station went off the air...Although I poked fun at the FCC Chairman and his agency, at least this administration, as governmentally correct as they are, seem to be making an effort to recognize the changes that are necessary in order for radio to survive. Many of the previous administrations either didn't care or didn't have a clue...

10 Timeline Memories:

1.1865] A bad day at the theater: President Abraham Lincoln is shot and mortally wounded by actor John Wilkes Booth while attending the comedy "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater in Washington (DC). He will die of his wounds the following day...2.1894] Pass the popcorn: The first public showing of Edison's kinetoscope aka 'moving pictures' is held...3.1902] The money man: James Cash Penney opens his first retail store, The Golden Rule Store in Kemmerer (WY). The name will be changed to J.C. Penney...4.1910] Play ball: President William Howard Taft throws out the 1st ball for the Washington Senators-Philadelphia A's game in Washington (DC) and a tradition is born...1955] Elston Howard becomes the Yankees first black player...1969] The first major league game is played in Canada (Montreal)...5.1912] Down with the ship: The Titanic, on its maiden voyage, hits an iceberg and begins to sink. It will fully sink at 2:27 a.m. on April 15th. More than 700 survive but 1,517 lose their lives...6.1939] Sour grapes: John Steinbeck publishes "The Grapes of Wrath"...7.1956] Get out the splicing bars: Ampex Corporation demonstrates the first commercial magnetic tape recorder for sound and picture...8.2003] Gotcha: U.S. commandos in Baghdad capture Abul Abbas, leader of the Palestinian group that killed an American on the hijacked Achille Lauro in 1985...9.2003] A Tikrit to ride: Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit falls to U.S. led forces with unexpectedly light resistance...10.2008] Wedding Bells: Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp., announce they are combining...

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

During his impassioned first state-of-the-industry address at the NAB yesterday, NAB President/CEO Gordon Smithberated the music industry for what he called 'performance taxes' that the industry would levy on terrestrial radio. He also disputed what he called "the perception of some" that "broadcasting is the technology of the past". He explained his views, working the partisan room and preaching to the chorus like Billy Graham in his prime. He then let slip a game change statement that will follow him as long as he heads the NAB. The former two-term U.S. Senator (R-OR) admitted that he still has political ambitions. That's when I wrote game over in my scorecard. Will Mr. Smith go to Washington? Again???When I saw that quote by Smith, I flashed back to a similar, entirely too candid yet equally telling moment that I witnessed at the Radio & TV Broadcasting Museum. Al Franken representing the liberal wing of talk radio was taking on conservative radio in front of a typically liberal New York audience, getting applause and yucks for just about everything he said. When the Q&A began, a member of the audience asked Franken what he is. "Are you a liberal talk show host, personality, comedian, politician. Who are you?" Franken made a joke about the question and then he admitted that he was a comedian. That did it for me. From that day on, I never took Franken, now a U.S. Senator from Minnesota seriously...Gordon Smith, NAB President/CEO, has just joined Al Franken in that category. Being too candid can come back and bite you...10 Timeline Memories:

1.1870] Get the picture?: The Metropolitan Museum of Art is founded in New York City...2.1940] Their cup runneth over: The New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup by beating Toronto in the NHL playoffs. They also won in 1994...3.1943] Dedicated to the one I love: President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates the Jefferson Memorial on the 200th anniversary of Jefferson's birth...4.1954] Debuted on this date: Hank Aaron makes his major league debut with Milwaukee going 0 for 5 in the Braves loss to Cincinnati...1963] Pete Rose gets his first major league hit (a double) for Cincinnati...1978] Reggie Jackson hits a home run and 'Reggie Bars' rain down at Yankee Stadium as Robert Phillips and his dad enjoy their Reggie Bars...5.1964] Breaking the color barrier:Sidney Poitier becomes the first black performer in a leading role to win an Academy Award, for "Lilies of the Field."...6.1970] Crippled Apollo returns safely: Apollo 13, four-fifths of the way to the moon is crippled when a tank containing liquid oxygen bursts. The astronauts aboard return safely...7.1986] The record-breaking Master: Jack Nicklaus wins his record 6th Masters title...1997] At 21, Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer to win the Masters. Also the youngest person to wear the hideous green jacket. Phil Mickelsondonned this year's jacket over the weekend. Sorry Tiger...8.1986] Mazel tov: Pope John Paul II visits a Rome synagogue in the first recorded papal visit of its kind...9.1998] Wedding Bells: NationsBank and Bank of America announce a $62.5 billion merger...10.1999] Guilty as charged: Jack Kevorkian is sentenced to 10 to 25 years for the second-degree murder of a man whose assisted suicide was shown on "60 Minutes" in 1998. He is released after serving a few years because of his health...2005] Eric Rudolph pleads guilty to carrying out the deadly bombing at the 1996 Olympics and 3 other attacks. He is now serving 4 consecutive life sentences...

Music Memories:

Grammy Gold: 1965] Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto win a Grammy for 'Record of The Year' ("Girl From Ipanema"). Getz also wins for 'Album of The Year' (with Joao Gilberto) and The Beatles win for 'Best New Artist of the Year"...

Monday, April 12, 2010

The Next Generation Of Talk Radio is what they're calling Chat About It, an online radio station created by all-news 1010 WINS, the first all-news station in New York City radio history. Clicking on Chat About It can put you in the middle of a discussion about the mounds of doggie poop on city streets or a more pleasant but equally vital topic of your choice. Chat About It is an easy listen. I sampled the Unfiltered Show. Other show topics include The Trader Speaks, Tax Trouble Help, Star Talk, Political Chick, Good Life & Living Green. There were also personality names listed but none of them were familiar to me. Chat About It has a mobile device page to help you find the right app for your needs. And there's more...In addition to WINS you can chat up the 5 other CBS Radio stations in New York, all of which all connected to AOL Radio. There's also a drop down window containing a listing of CBS Radio stations throughout the country, allowing you to stream each one...CBS Radio has put together quite the online package for its brand. No doubt, this effort cost tons of bucks but was attainable with the support of AOL. Here's some background history on the marriage of CBS and AOL, based on my time at CBS-FM. Sometime after 2000 when Mel Karmazin was running things at CBS, he was opposed to streaming any of the CBS stations. The general consensus of opinion was that Mel was trying to find a way to capitalize on streaming. Along comes AOL which signed a two-year exclusive contract with CBS radio. From that day forward CBS stations began to stream. That initial deal has created a monster...

10 Timeline Memories:

1.1861] Hardly civil: The Civil War begins as confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter...2.1877] The tools of ignorance: The catcher for Harvard's baseball team, James Tyng (it should have been 'Pyng') wears a modified fencing mask behind the plate. It's believed to be the 1st catcher's mask ever used in a baseball game...3.1938] Blood letting: The 1st U.S. law requiring a medical test for a marriage license is enacted in New York. Drawing blood is no longer required, it's been replaced by fogging up a mirror...4.1945] 'Happy Trails': President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies from a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs (GA) at 63. Harry S. Truman is sworn in as our new President...5.1960] Veeck as in Wreck:Bill Veeck and Chicago's Comiskey Park introduce the 1st exploding scoreboard...6.1966] Rock & Roll Wreck: Jan Barry (Jan & Dean) crashes his car at Dead Man's Curve, (good song title) is seriously injured but survives...7.1988] Vote For Me: Sonny Bono is elected mayor of Palm Springs (CA)...8.1995] Gitchy Gitchy yaya dada: Drew Barrymore jumps on David Letterman's desk, lifts her sweater up with her back to the audience and gives Letterman an eyeful as a birthday present...9.2004] Concentrated juice: Barry Bonds ties Godfather Willie Mays for 3rd place with his 660th home run. Eventually Bonds sets the all-time record with 762 home runs...10.2007] Canned Imus: Don Imus is fired for his racial references to the Rutgers' women's basketball team. On the same day New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is seriously injured in an automobile crash. Corzine was on his way to a meeting with the team and Imus...

Commentary...

Tomorrow, April 13, a Hearing Conservation Workshop will be presented at NYU's Steinhardt Music Technology Center, 35 West 4th Street, bet. LaGuardia Place & University Place from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. This Workshop will offer a new approach to promoting awareness of the ever-increasing problem of noise and music-induced hearing loss. The workshop is an open event. Additional information is available here...

Music Memories:

Recorded on this date: 1954] "Rock Around The Clock" - Bill Haley & Comets. This was the quote from producer Milt Gabler: "I hope you guys don't need any rehearsal time with the 'clock song'. We've only got time for a couple of takes.". Many regard this as the first Rock & Roll song...

Released on this date: 1954] "Shake, Rattle and Roll" - Big Joe Turner (this is the original version of a song that Bill Haley will cover)...1969] "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel...1975] "When Will I Be Loved" - Linda Ronstadt...

About Me

Mel Phillips Now & Then is more Now. The Then always follows the Now. Prior to starting 'Remembers' in 2005 and 'Now & Then' on April 7, 2008 I enjoyed a multi-media career which included being one of the Bill Drake program directors. I was involved in the programming of such legendary stations as WOR-FM, WXLO-FM, WNBC, WRKO AM & FM and KQV. I was also General Manager of Hooper Radio, played disc jockey in markets such as Tampa, Nashville, Norfolk and Atlantic City and enjoyed marketing success in syndicated radio for several companies including ABC, MJI and United Stations. My background also includes the music business where I promoted such diverse CBS acts as The Clash, Gloria Estefan, Loverboy, Judas Priest, George Michael & Julio Iglesias. In Special Programming at WCBS-FM I wrote and produced numerous specials and interviewed some of the biggest recording stars. In addition to this post I'm a regular contributor to Radio Daily News. My wife Diane and I reside on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and I'm very proud of my children, Robert Phillips, Lynn Phillips Brough and granddaughters Allyson and Amy...